Chapter 27 Uncle Song, I’m Afraid

Although Wang Huimin was a village girl, she was extremely afraid of rats. Normally, it was manageable—if she saw one from a distance or chased it away with a broom, she could deal with it. But seeing one while she was asleep, and worse, having it crawl on her body—that terrified her completely.

Song Jianjun had a soldier’s background and was very alert. The moment Wang Huimin screamed, he jumped off the bed, thinking something serious had happened. But he only saw the girl rushing out of the inner room in panic.

Under the moonlight, he could see that she was only wearing a small vest and a pair of shorts. She ran straight into his arms, holding him tightly and trembling all over. Her voice was shaking as she cried out:

“Uncle Song, there’s a rat inside—huge! It crawled on me… I’m so scared…”

She hadn’t meant to call him “Uncle Song”—she was worried that constantly reminding him of their age and identity difference would make him feel awkward. But she was terrified now, and the habit from all those years kicked in unconsciously.

Song Jianjun, however, felt very awkward at that moment. In this conservative era, even short-sleeved shirts were rare among girls—exposing skin was basically unheard of. And now the girl, in just that little clothing, had thrown herself into his arms. His upper body was bare, and he was only wearing shorts. Her soft body was pressed tightly against his, their skin touching, and a faint scent of her hair drifted into his nose.

This was the first time in his life he’d been so close to a woman. His breath caught, his face flushed red, and he didn’t know where to place his hands and feet. After a moment of hesitation, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a calming pat.

“Xiaomin, don’t be like this. Let go of me. Don’t be scared, it’s alright. Stay here in the outer room while I go catch the rat…”

In the summer, windows were usually kept open, with screens to keep mosquitoes out—but sound could travel freely. The two younger kids were deep asleep and didn’t wake up, but Song Fu, who was sleeping in the side room, heard Wang Huimin’s scream. After hesitating for a moment, he put on a jacket and came to check the main house.

He didn’t go in right away and instead stood at the doorway and asked, “Third Uncle, what’s going on? What happened?”

Given the situation inside, it really wasn’t appropriate for Song Fu to come in. Song Jianjun quickly replied, “Nothing. Xiaomin just saw a rat and got scared. I’ll chase it away. You go back to sleep.”

Worried that Song Fu might suddenly come in, and with Wang Huimin still clinging to him, Song Jianjun’s voice was slightly strained.

Song Fu could tell that his third uncle sounded nervous, and even though the screen blocked the view, the moonlight still allowed him to see two figures clearly embracing near the bed. No need to guess what was happening.

He smirked. “Saw a rat,” huh? More like a cover-up. Most likely, Third Uncle had been too rough with the girl during their first time together, and she cried out, embarrassed to tell him.

Her screams were miserable—she must’ve really suffered. And his third uncle had the physique of a soldier, stronger and more enduring than average. When they used to bathe together, he’d seen that part of his uncle’s anatomy before—larger than any of his peers. No woman could easily handle that.

This was his uncle’s first time at his age—like an old tree blossoming—and that girl was in for a rough night. But that wasn’t his concern. She insisted on marrying Third Uncle, so she brought it on herself.

Thinking this, the last bit of resentment in his heart disappeared. Song Fu mumbled a response and went back to the side room.

Once Song Fu had left, Song Jianjun tried to gently push Wang Huimin away, not daring to use too much strength for fear of hurting her.

“Xiaomin, it’s okay now. Let go of me. This… this isn’t appropriate.”

When Song Fu had come earlier, Wang Huimin had already calmed down emotionally. But she wanted to stay in Song Jianjun’s arms a little longer, so she didn’t move. Now she couldn’t keep clinging to him and backed off a little.

“I… I didn’t mean to. The rat really climbed on me—I’m terrified of them. Don’t you guys always sleep in the inner room? Why would a rat be on the bed?”

Song Jianjun helped her sit on the bed, pulled a blanket over her, and went to put on pants. Then he went out and poured her a glass of water.

“Drink some water to calm down. I don’t know why it happened either. The others never mentioned rats getting on the bed. Maybe someone moved the rat traps while cleaning and forgot to put them back. That’s probably how it got in. Just sit here for a while—I’ll go check inside.”

Wang Huimin was still shaken but nodded and took a sip of water.

By the time Song Jianjun went back into the room, the rat was long gone. He checked the rat hole and found some dug-up dirt with paw prints. Clearly, the rat had crawled out from there. He decided to put the traps back tomorrow. Rats these days were clever; once the traps were set, they’d likely avoid that route, and at least no more rats would climb into the bed and scare the girl.

When he came back out, Wang Huimin looked much calmer.

“Xiaomin, don’t be scared. There are no rat holes in the outer room. You stay out here tonight. I’ll go sleep in the inner room for a few days. Once I’m sure there are no more rats, you can go back.”

Just as he was about to head inside, Wang Huimin grabbed his arm. “Uncle Song, don’t go—I’m scared. How about you stay and sleep in the outer room with me? I’ll sleep better with you around.”

This time she called him “Uncle Song” on purpose. She had noticed earlier that calling him that seemed to touch a soft spot—he didn’t resist, just looked a little helpless. That gave her hope.

Getting to live again was a gift from heaven. She only wanted to live for herself now. The rules and expectations from the past no longer mattered. Happiness was the most important thing. If calling him “Uncle” helped win his heart, then what was a title?

But Song Jianjun had no idea what she was thinking. He was embarrassed by the girl’s request and didn’t know how to refuse properly.

He gently replied, “Xiaomin, we’re a man and a woman alone together—this really isn’t appropriate. There are no rats in the outer room. Don’t worry. It’s late—go to sleep.”

With that, he turned to go to the inner room.